Savannah Makepeace- My little angel
There really is nothing like a mother’s love for a child.
My Angel Savannah
Any mother who has experienced childbirth will understand that you’ve got to really love something to willingly agree to do that, and most of the time come back for more.
Maybe it’s nature’s way of keeping the numbers down, because if it wasn’t so traumatic, I’d be popping out babies often.
I’m not sure I can really even talk write about giving birth to Savannah, except that after it was done, I stood, with the fragility of an elderly sick woman, holding onto the shower rod, convulsing with pain, letting the warm water wash the tears away that now engulfed me and added to the racking of my body.
I allowed my body the space it needed to speak and let it all out.
Craig helped me gently dry off, held me and told me it was alright, that I did an amazing job and we now had our beautiful little girl. I’m sure he was traumatized too with what he saw.
I knew I just had to let the trauma wash out of my body. I was so thankful Craig was there. I would never have gotten through it with out him holding me and saying the right things. I think the mid-wives wanted to hire him; they were so impressed with how he handled everything.
Giving birth is an amazing experience.
You walk through hell to be given heaven.
And once you can let that pain wash away, you can focus on what it really meant and what it all was for.
To allow angels into your life.
At 3:08am on Tues morning, Aug 30 an angel came bursting into my life.
She’s precious and I love her deeply, without even knowing her.
Just one look and my heart melts, and I forget the pain that brought her here.
Look what we created
Daddy's girls
The luckiest mum ever!
The Stats
Induced by drip: hell
Labour: 2 hours 40 minutes of proper labour (just what that is I don’t know, but I think its the real hellish part)
Stitches: 5 and gravel rash (as reported by the midwife)
Weight: 3.410kg/ 7lb 8 oz
Height: 51 cm (but currently about 31 as she holds her legs up like a frog!)
Head circumference: 36.3cm (wish that was smaller)
Wheelchair: Yes! (Had to ride it back to the ward, and did not move from bed for a whole 24 hours)
Midwives: Amazing.
Craig: He’s up for hire if you need a strong, supportive birthing partner. He knows how to say the right things and will willingly allow you to squeeze the f##k out of his hand whilst giving you a back rub.
Savannah
Craig and I must have been destined for two girls. We’ve never really had a boy’s name picked out, but for our two girls we’ve always known.
Love
Their names reflect our travels and our beliefs and what we want for their spirit.
Savannah is obviously the name of one of our favourite US cities.
But, it is also more of that, it is the home of the African plains, one of our favourite places to roam.
And it is where the animals live wild and free.
To us, there is no greater thing than your spirit to be free.
Free to choose, free to live in a way that suits your passion and purpose.
Be Free
To me Savannah means freedom and life.
and just like Kalyra means a wild and pleasant place, there was no more perfect name for our second daughter.
And, it’s real pretty too.
Just like her
Comments
Aaron @ Aaron's Worldwide Adventures
Congrats Caz!!! She looks absolutely precious! What a wonderful new addition to your clan!
Caz
Thank you. we love that she chose to join our clan. Just hope we can do the best job for what she needs.
jill- Jack and Jill Travel The World
Congrats on the new addition! And what a wonderful tribute you’ve written for her…
Caz
Thanks Jill. She is so deserving of it.
Lauren Fritsky
I am so incredibly happy for you and Craig. These pictures are beautiful and you all look great. I can definitely see both of you in Savannah.
Caz
Thanks Lauren. We can’t really tell who she looks like, but i can see Craig in a few photos. As my dad says, “I think she looks like Savannah!!” 🙂
Lina@MothersLoveLetters
Wow, wow, wow!!!
Soooooo beautiful!!!
All 4 of you, Craig’s fatherly strength & love, YOU!
Your writing, your depth of knowing, your photos!
CONRGATULATIONS
Caz
Thank you Lina! Can’t wait for you to meet her. She’s a total joy
sarah
congratulations she is beautiful and I know what you mean about the pain, two years on and Im still traumatised..Id definately have more if it didnt hurt.. lol xx
Caz
I think of another one and then the memory of that pain comes flooding back and I’m begging Craig to go and get the snip!! 🙂
Lisa Wood
What a wonderful idea – giving your daughters names that mean so much. Congratulations on your gorgeous girls….and yes our mind heals the pain with time! You are so lucky to have such a wonderful husband to hold you and let you know it will be ok.
Thank you for sharing Savannah with us all – she is beautiful!
Cheers
Lisa xxx
Caz
You are welcome Lisa and thank you. Our minds are so powerful to be able to erase that pain. It might take me awhile before I stop shuddering when i think of it 🙂
Kellie @ Three Li'l Princesses
Huge congratulations, Caz. What wonderful news. And well done.
She is sooo adorable! Trust me, having two li’l princesses is just the best! Enjoy! xx
Caz
I’m loving two little princesses Kellie!! I think I was born to be a mum to girls, they are so adorable and sweet.
Jackie Stenhouse
Savannah is absolutely gorgeous and perfect. Thank you for telling the truth about birth, I found it a very painful experience which I am happy not to do it again. Congratulations on your new baby.
Caz
Thank you Jackie and you are welcome. I wish childbirth really wasn’t painful, but you gotta be honest- it is traumatic. I’m so glad it only went for 2 and a half hours
Eileen
Lovely post. Enjoyed the read. All the best to you and your family.
Eileen.
Caz
Thank you Eileen
Alicia
Congratulations! She is absolutely gorgeous!
Caz
Thank you Alicia. i can’t stop giving her cuddles
Linda
Congratulations! She’s a dote.
Enjoy being a new little tribe 🙂
Caz
Thanks Linda! I’m loving our little tribe 🙂
lyndal
have just read this in my office and have tears running down my cheeks. love:)
Caz
Love you Lynny! Can’t wait for you to meet her 🙂
kirri
‘You walk through hell to be given heaven’
Thats says it all really doesn’t it? I feel quite privileged that you have shared this post with us all
xx
Caz
Thanks Kirri! It’s so worth the journey
Anthony
I say on many occasions how much I’m glad to be a bloke and I go on to cite my reasons and strong beliefs that go with it.
This kind of blows my theories out of the water. I can’t imagine how amazing this experience could be.
Great pics, great post and even greater time for the four of you 🙂
Caz
Thank you Anthony! There are good and bad bits I guess to being a woman or man. Craig will tell you that you’re best off sticking to being the hand holder during childbirth rather than the one giving birth. He was sure glad it wasn’t him doing it 🙂
Torre – Fearful Adventurer
Congratulations! She’s absolutely gorgeous. A beautiful post—very touching.
Caz
Thank you Torre!
katesaysstuff
She is just beautiful, both your girls are.
Her expression in the first pic is gorgeous… That newborn alertness…
I’m all sooky la la, no more babies for me but gosh I love them <3
Huge congratulations to all of you, and hope your own recovery is swift!
Caz
Thank you. My recovery has been pretty good so I am grateful for that one. I love the look on her face in that first pic too, so divine!
Lisa @chickybus
I don’t have children, but I do have a nephew (14 mths old) whom I adore and so, I can relate to certain things you’re saying (not the giving birth part, of course). I have friends whose lives have changed (in incredible ways) because of becoming mothers and they say exactly what you say–that the beauty of it helps you forget the pain.
I love the name you chose (and Kalyra’s), by the way, and what it means in general and for you specifically. Congrats and all the best to you and your family!
Caz
Thank you. Children just add something special to your life. Before becoming a mother I wouldn’t have said I was a maternal person at all, but my girls sure changed that and I love it! Now that is powerful
Cailin
Congratulations again!!!
What a cute family of 4! 🙂
Caz
Thank you Cailin!
Angie Orth
Big congrats, Team Makepeace! She’s precious!
Caz
thank you Angie!! Yay team- this is as big as our team gets 🙂
Lauren
Awwww, congratulations! She’s so beautiful! 🙂
Caz
Thanks Lauren, she is a sweetie
Andrea
Beautiful family, beautiful name – congratulations!!!
But you’ve just scared the hell out of me about childbirth pain, haha
Caz
i wish I could tell you that it is bliss, but that would be a lie!! You can do it. If I can you can. And you can always get pain relief if it is too much. Don’t think about it until you have to do it. Otherwise you will get too freaked out!
Ayngelina
Congratulations guys! A beautiful name for a beautiful baby.
Caz
Thanks Ayngelina!
Christina
Congratulations!!! Kudos to such a top team, one for the physical strength and the other for the psychological strength!
What a wonderful message to your daughters, I love how you gave them really meaningful names. And my are they cute!
Caz
Thank you. We think names are so important for our children. They really do say a lot about them. Although giving Kalyra a name that means wild, was a little risky!!
Tahlia @ the parenting files
congrats on the arrival of beautiful Savannah. I love the name. I am so in love with the photo of Craig and his beautiful little girl. Just gorgeous! Hope you are getting a little rest… lots of love xx
Caz
I love that photo too!! His little girls melt his heart. We are doing well, thank you!!
Kelly
Congratulations Caz! What a beautiful name for a gorgeous little girl. Best wishes to all of you.
Pete Heck
Congrats guys! She’s beautiful and that photo named “Love”, just brilliant.
Janice
Congratulations. What a beautiful post. Being a mom twice over and step-mom twice over and a doula many times over I am in awe of you sharing so well so soon. Enjoy one another. Though I’m known as Solotraveler, I know (and write about) what is really important in this world – the ones we love.
Stephanie - The Travel Chica
Such a beautiful post and a beautiful baby. Congrats to the whole fam!
Nomadic Samuel
Congrats Caz & Craig! 🙂
Jacquie
Congratulations Caz! Savannah is gorgeous. Thanks for sharing your story & the beautiful photos of your family. (I’m feeling very thankful for the 3 caesarians I had 😉
Caz
I was kinda wishing I had one too when I was right in the “true” labour part
Abi
Wow, what an incredibly moving post. I’m amazed and impressed that you were up to taking those photos and writing it up so beautifully so soon! Really inspiring, thank you.
Caz
Thank you Abi.
Veronica @ Mixed Gems
Wow! This post brought a tear to my eye and took my breath away. It was so raw, vivid, so expressive, so powerful. Your love is so tangible. I’ve only ever had two c-sections so will never know exactly what you experienced. Your post almost made me miss not having natural labour! But I have my two beautiful girls too and that’s what counts in the long run.
Caz
Thank you Veronica. I appreciate your encouraging words. All that counts are your beautiful children 🙂 I wouldn’t worry about missing out on a natural birth. The trauma of it is scarring 🙂
Alex Berger
What an adorable little one! Congratulations! Sending thoughts of good health and good things your way!
Caz
Thank you Alex. She is a little sweetheart
Jo Hatcher
Congratulations to all of you. What an amazing family you are and so inspirational to be traveling all together. Those precious girls are so lucky. All the best, Jo
Caz
Thanks so much Jo. We want our daughters to experience how amazing the world is
Rachael Butler
Congratulations. Such a cute family. She’s gorgeous. Hope you are all doing well. Another little traveller in the family. Do not know how you will do it with two, Amazing!
Caz
Thank you Rachael. Where there is a will there is a way 🙂 Lucky we love what we do
Nuien
I wish I have found this before I gave birth to my baby girl last year. I was very terrified and my husband could not be with me at the labour room because of the hospital’s rules. I was so sad and so alone. I cried a lot and was still still crying when I got to hold my baby girl 🙁
I struggled more than a day, couldn’t eat anything 24 hours before I gave birth, my water didn’t break even I was already 6cm dilated, and it took me 42 minutes to do the pushing until it was over.
Great post and this reminds me a lot of my big moment too. I’m not sure if I ever want to go through it again.